Kofi Annan, the Nobel laureate and former secretary-general of the
United Nations, died Saturday from a short, undisclosed illness, his
foundation announced.
Annan, 80, of Ghana, led the United Nations from 1997 to 2006 after a
decades-long career working for the U.N. He and the organization were
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 "for their work for a better
organized and more peaceful world."
CNN noted Annan's reputation as a leader who promoted the defense of human rights.
"In the 21st Century I believe the mission of the United Nations will be
defined by a new, more profound, awareness of the sanctity and dignity
of every human life, regardless of race or religion," he said in his
prize lecture. "This will require us to look beyond the framework of
States, and beneath the surface of nations or communities. We must
focus, as never before, on improving the conditions of the individual
men and women who give the state or nation its richness and character."
But Annan's time at the U.N. wasn't without controversy. He previously
was under-secretary general for peacekeeping and a special
representative to the former Yugoslavia. Reports he commissioned as
secretary-general criticized his role in the U.N.'s response to the
Rwandan genocide and killings in Yugoslavia, The Guardian reported.
Current U.N. secretary-general Antonio Guterres said in a statement that he considered Annan a mentor.
"He remained someone I could always turn to for counsel and wisdom --
and I know I was not alone," Guterres said. "He provided people
everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a
path to a better world."
The Kofi Annan Foundation praised its leader in its statement Saturday.
"Kofi Annan was a global statesman and a deeply committed
internationalist who fought throughout his ife for a fairer and more
peaceful world," his foundation said in a release Saturday. "During his
distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations he was an
ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the
rule of law."
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